


Selling Points

by ami_ven



Series: Home on the Range (Wild West AU) [4]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Western, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-28 23:40:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6350293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ami_ven/pseuds/ami_ven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of Rodney’s inventions earns him a little more than expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Selling Points

**Author's Note:**

> written for LJ community "mcsheplets" prompt #224 "bonus"

John leaned against the wooden siding of the train depot, hat tipped over his eyes, as he watched Rodney meet with the two well-dressed gentlemen from the railroad company. He’d driven the wagon there, loaded up with the new-fangled engine Rodney had designed, but the inventor was still worried that people from back east might recognize John, that the law might still be after him for deserting the Army— for the Army deserting _him_ , Rodney always said.

Of course, John hadn’t been about to let him come to this exchange alone. No matter how legitimate the Carter Railroad Company might be, bad things could still happen when transporting the kind of money they were supposed to be getting paid for Rodney’s engine, especially in a tiny, dingy woodshed of a train station like this.

But it seemed that both of their worries were unfounded. John watched the two railroad company men eagerly inspecting the engine, nodding to whatever Rodney was explaining about it. After a few minutes, the taller of the two nodded, holding out his hand for Rodney to shake, before the shorter man held out a battered leather briefcase. It looked like the sort Rodney himself had, for carrying important papers, but by the way the man’s shoulders loosened, just a little, John knew it had to contain payment for the engine.

Rodney took it, flipping through what was inside without taking it out, then nodded. He shook hands with each of the men again, then left them to instruct the train porters to bring the large crate aboard. Rodney held Jumper’s reigns while the engine was off-loaded, keeping him still until the train had left, and he turned back to the shadows where John stood.

“You can stop lurking now, Sheppard.”

Grinning, John walked over to him, putting an extra sway in his step just to be annoying. “Looks like they liked your stuff, McKay.”

“They did,” the other man said, sounding almost surprised— John fought the urge to scowl, to be angry at the people who had driven Rodney to work alone in the middle of nowhere.

“Of course they did,” he said, instead. “You’re a genius.”

“Yes, I am,” Rodney agreed, smiling. He held up the briefcase. “So much so that they commissioned me for more work. There’s some schematics in here— that idiot Kavanaugh’s, probably, I’d be better off starting from scratch— but they’re more than willing for me to keep working here, send my stuff back east.”

“That’s great,” said John. “And I’m guessing they paid you enough for the equipment and materials for the stuff they want?”

“They did,” said Rodney. “And… I guess communicating by letters, they were more impressed than they expected by what I delivered. So, there’s actually a little _more_ than expected.”

John grinned. “A bonus? Nice.”

“Yes,” said Rodney. He held the briefcase tightly in both hands, then held it out to John. “And I want you to have it. The bonus.”

“McKay…”

“I’m serious. The engine was my design, but you did a lot of the work. I… honestly, Sheppard? I never would have been able to build something like this, before you came. Not just because you can cook, and do the heavy lifting, but because… of everything. Nobody has ever taken care of me like you do, and I know you think I saved your life, John, but the truth is that you saved _mine_. So, I want you to have the money, to buy something that is entirely and selfishly just for you.”

“I..” John said, but there were just no words for that. Instead of trying to find them, he pulled Rodney in for a long, fierce kiss, right there in the empty train depot. When they were forced to break for air, he whispered, “What if the something I want is you?”

Rodney huffed out a laugh. “You’ve already got me,” he said, large hands warm even through the fabric of John’s shirt. “Pick something else.”

“I’ll think about it,” John promised. He stepped back, but kept one arm around Rodney’s waist. “But in the meantime, let’s go home.”

“Home,” Rodney repeated, and John had to kiss him for that, too.

THE END


End file.
